Seaman weeps as England bow out

David Seaman was left weeping today as England's World Cup adventure ended in defeat by Brazil.

England's most experienced player was left inconsolable after allowing a 50th-minute, 30-yard free-kick from Brazil's Ronaldinho to sail over his head and into the net for the decisive goal in this quarter-final.

That strike proved to be the winner and was reminiscent of Nayim's infamous goal from the halfway line for Real Zaragoza against Arsenal and Seaman which won the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup Final.

Today, the 38-year-old Seaman fell heavily near the end of the first-half and required lengthy treatment on his back.

Whether the veteran keeper was still feeling the injury is debatable but he hardly moved as the ball seemed to take an age before dipping under the England crossbar at the Ecopa Stadium.

Skipper David Beckham said: "If anyone tries to make a scapegoat out of David Seaman I think it would be an absolute disgrace because I think he's been the best goalkeeper in this tournament. The goal wasn't his fault. It was a fluke goal that was a cross that ended up being a goal." But Beckham conceded England had not made the most of Ronaldinho's 57th-minute red card for a challenge on Danny Mills.

"We didn't take advantage of the situation as we should have done but that's the way things go," Beckham said. "We're all proud of ourselves and as a captain I'm proud of the team. This is a very young team and it's come a long way in a short space of time."

Seaman's blunder was a sad way to go out of the competition, particularly after Michael Owen had fired the team into a 23rd-minute lead - and also after the way England had battled their way so bravely through the 'Group of Death', laying low the ghost of four years ago in the process when they beat Argentina.

Seaman said. "The main thing is I just feel sorry for the fans." Pressed to describe what happened, the tears flowed and he said as he walked away: "It's just so hard."

It was Seaman's 73rd senior cap, equalling Gordon Banks' total, and it could be his last. The big Yorkshireman was comforted by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson at the final whistle and may now decide he has had enough of international football.

England did their best on a hot mid-afternoon in Shizuoka and Owen's goal had raised hearts and hopes. However, it was not enough against the rightful tournament favourites who equalised through Rivaldo in first-half injury time and then scored that decisive second goal three minutes after the break. Even when scorer Ronaldinho was harshly sent off for that foul on Mills, Beckham and his team could not press home their advantage.

Eriksson said: "We had a good opportunity to reach the semi-finals but we didn't take it. We did well in the first half up until injury time. We should have done better though against 10 men but we didn't use that advantage. I was a bit disappointed. We were not strong enough to get back.

"It was a small mistake at the end of the first half when we let them score their first goal and maybe the same at the start of the second half but that's football. I just wish we could have done better when we had 11 to their 10. We seemed tired and we lost our shape. We just knocked in balls towards their three centre-halves. Maybe we were not patient enough but Brazil are very good at keeping the ball, even with 10 men.

"I think we learned a lot about many things at the World Cup. We have many young players in the squad and they will be much better in two years' time (for the European Championships). We leave the tournament with our heads high. We were very close but not close enough. In four years' time, perhaps with more or less the same squad, maybe we can do better."

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said the fear of failure inspired his side. "To stay alive and not die was the only thought we had. That was the subject of my team talk. Never have I seen a bunch of players defend the national colours with such pride."

Ronaldinho, who was delayed for nearly two hours after being picked for the postmatch doping test, said of his goal: "Cafu, our captain, had alerted me that their goalkeeper played off his line. I had a shot at goal and I was lucky."